Life In The Slums

"RAPIER RAPIER RAPIER RAPIER RAPIER RAPIER!!!!!!!!"

the crowd screamed and screamed.

As my foe was underneath me on his knees. I look to the crowd and as always they stare back with their eyes full of lust waiting for me to fulfill their pleasures. I face the king at his stand and with a smirk he gives the command. I look down again to my foe and say with a sigh of disappointment

"You weren't even a match."

With a big grin on my face I grab a hold of his neck and snap it. As I bow to the crowd I see their faces. As I look at them I see the same arrangement of emotions I've come to know as a gladiator disgust, pleasure, and pity. I leave the colosseum and enter the guild hall to retrieve my payment. One silver coins and five copper coins enough to live for two days.

I walk down the street feeling the money I just earned from todays fight. Then out of no where I hear my name.

"RAPIER!"

It was my sponsor Jonathan, Jon for short. He ran towards me. Out of breath he tells me

"You....have....a....new challenger."

I look at him with a smile and ask

"Whens the fight."

He replies

"Tomorrow."

I smile and turn away as I walk away from Jon I say with a serious voice

"Perfect. I got an errand to make then."

I start to walk down the street growing farther and farther away from Jon. Until I reach my destination. Its a old run down shop I walk up to the shop keeper who is an old shriveled up man. He looks up to me and I say

"A child looks into the abyss. The abyss looks back at child and asks what the child wants. The child responds saying he wants to walk the path that his father walked. The abyss tells the child to turn around. The child does so and sees where he came from and turns back to the abyss. The abyss was gone."

The store keeper looks down and opens a secret door that was under him. I enter and walk down the tunnel that was under the store. A light shines on my eyes and I close them. As I open my eyes I see the underground market also known as the infamous "blackmarket". Under my breath I say

"This never gets old"

I start to look down the rows of sketchy shops until I finally see Old Bede's shop. Old Bede is the granny that sells me my enhancement potions and healing potions. I need these potions to get stronger than I already am. Old Bede sells them at a cheap price that I can afford because only nobles or royal families can come close to buying these potions. Well the pure potions. Old Bede sells me the impure potions that can cause side effects. Such as sudden paralyzation for a couple hours or even death if you use the impure potion improperly. I slowly enter Old Bede's shop and with a weary voice she says

"Rapier I knew you were going to come today so I had your potions premade."

"Thank you Old Bede" I respond.

"Hold your tongue boy. Why don't you show me some respect." she responds.

"I apologize Bede. Its an old habit." I respond.

"Fine pay me and take your potions." she responds.

As I take the money out of my pocket and pouch Old Bede makes a look of realization. As if shes been reminded of something.

"Boy" she says

"I've seen your future you will face a threat that will finally give you a challenge. I would be careful of your next fight."

I scoff at her and say

"There is no one in this world that can rival me in strength and skill except for that bastard that managed to tie with me using petty tricks"

"You have been warned." she responds.

I walk out of her shop and catch a glimpse of her face. She was grinning. She was grinning at me as if I was a joke. I was infuriated but I calmed down soon after. It doesn't matter what other people think of me as long as I'm confident in my skill. I exit the blackmarket and start walking down the city's streets turning corners until I finally reached the shelter. The shelter is where I live. Its a shabby place it smells like drunks and blood from the daily fights. That isn't the only bad thing about this place because its an abandoned building that's filled with homeless men and women no one takes care of it. So the roof is barely standing and every room is a shit house. No one dares to come up to me. They all know how dangerous I am. But occasionally there are some people who think that just because I fight in the colosseum I come out injured. I don't usually come out injured.

"Hey you...Rapier" a random drunk shouts.

"Yes" I respond.

"Everyone thinks you're some kind of hot shot just because your undefeated. Oh wait you aren't undefeated. Hahahahahahaha."

He swings at me I easily dodge it by ducking down. He looks down but I'm gone. He turns around but hes already on the ground bleeding out. No one knew what had happened. In the silence I walk toward the stairs to where my room was no one said anything. I enter my room its very worn out the walls are cracked and pieces of the ceiling are missing. I lay on the large piece of cloth that I have in the room there is no bed. I pull out the potions I got from Old Bede and start to drink them. My body goes into a shock as it starts to get paralyzed. I knock out.

Family laughter. A big mansion. Smiling mother.

"Rapier come here give Mama a hug."

Mother crying.

"Mother are you okay?"

"Get away from me you unholy child you're the child of that pig you call a father."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"

I lean forward my body in a cold sweat a single tear goes down my eye.

"Mother."